Take Me Back To The Start
by dipdipdipmyblueship
Summary: Set after Carla and Peter return from abroad. Loosely based on rumours surrounding their return.


_**A/N: Fic inspired by the latest spoilers and rumours involving Carla and Peter's return.**_

_**Hope you enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: Characters featured in this fiction are the sole property of ITV. The story however belongs to me.**_

* * *

_**Nobody said it was easy,**_

_**No one ever said it would be this hard...**_

He tapped his fingers in a highly agitated manner along the granite of the desk, his eyes boring into the apathetic woman sitting just beyond his reach as she typed away ignorantly on her keyboard.

"Look, can you not pick up the pace here a little bit," he snapped with a little more force than he meant, causing the woman to peer up at him in sheer annoyance over her spectacles. He closed his eyes, allowing his head to drop forward and let out a forceful exhale, "please," he whispered, his eyes gazing back into hers, "this is a matter of life and death," he stated gently, his brown orbs conveying his desperation.

The woman visibly softened as she took in his tired and haggard face. She pursed her lips and sighed heavily, "Look, Mr…?"

"Barlow, Peter Barlow," he answered her quickly.

"Mr. Barlow," she began softly, rising from her seat to address him as she removed her eyeglasses, "Unless they have specifically requested for us to contact someone for them, we are not to release any information regarding our patients."

"But if I can only just see her," he tried desperately, "please. Look we had a fallin' out and she thinks I don't care about her anymore, which couldn't be further from the truth. I need her to know-"

"Mr. Barlow," the nurse held up her hand indicating him to cease, "I'm very sorry but as I stated, I am not allowed to disclose patient information." She watched sympathetically as his head fell forward once more in utter anguish. She leaned forward and placed her hand gently upon his, "I really am sorry, sir."

Biting back the tears that threatened to fall, he gave a small nod and turned away from the desk. He began aimlessly wandering the hallways, his gaze focused on the floor ahead of him.

'_Every flamin' ward in every flamin' 'ospital looks exactly the same,'_ he thought despondently, _'same dull walls, same beige tiles, same wooden doors…'_

He was unsure how long he walked the maze of halls; left, right, left again...he continued picking directions on a whim, losing all sense of time until he came upon some sort of waiting room. He eased himself into one of the empty chairs, his face immediately falling into his hands as he massaged his pounding head. _'How did I let this happen?' _he thought sadly, '_when did I get so selfish to not see what was happening right in front of me…'_

* * *

"_What the 'ell are you doin' 'ere?" Rob growled, stepping out of the office and onto the factory floor, effectively blocking Peter's path._

"_Look, I didn't come here to fight with you mate," Peter acquiesced, holding his hands up in front of him._

"_Well if you came looking for my sister so you could try to worm your way back into her life you've got another thing coming…" the younger man growled, before turning his head towards the machinsists, "Oi! Get back to work! We pay you to stitch not gawp!" he snapped angrily_

"_I'm not here to see Carla-" Peter began but was cut off as Michelle stepped out of the office_

"_He's 'ere to see me." She finished for him, refusing to cower under the glowering gaze Rob now fixed upon her, "come on through to the office Peter," she gestured with her head, gently tugging on Rob's sleeve and guiding him away from the door. "Let me 'andle this eh?"_

"_What are you playin' at Michelle?" Rob hissed in a whisper, "you know our Carla doesn't want him knowing…"_

"_He 'as a right to know Rob," Michelle stated firmly, following the bookie into the office, an incensed Rob on her heels._

"_After what he did to my sister, he doesn't 'ave a right to know __**anything **__that goes on in her life anymore." Rob shouted, waving his hand dismissively in Peter's direction._

"_I never meant to hurt Carla," Peter said softly, "I lov-"_

"_Don't you dare!" Michelle hissed, rounding on him viciously, her eyes blazing fury and her finger jabbing into his chest, "don't you __**dare**__ say those words Peter Barlow, because coming from you they may as well mean nowt!" Both men were slightly taken aback by her outburst, but she continued to snarl at the bookie, "don't think for a second that my callin' you 'round 'ere was so I could help you get back into Carla's good graces because it's not 'appening. I supported your relationship because I supported __**her**__, not you."_

_This wasn't what Michelle had intended when she called Peter earlier that morning, but now that he was stood in front of her, she couldn't help but unleash the year of pent-up aggression she had built up towards him; "You took advantage of her vulnerable state last year; you selfishly pulled her into an affair when you knew Foster was trying to stitch her up as being a cheat and a liar. You allowed her to be humiliated in court, humiliated on the street, tormented in 'ere by that scumbag, she nearly gets banged up for murder, and if that wasn't enough, __**you**__…the man she loves almost as much as she loved our Paul and our Liam…you then turn on her! Blamin' her for the custody battle between you and Leanne."_

_Peter bowed his head as Michelle's words cut him to the core, "Believe me Michelle I hate myself for that-"_

"_Oh yeah," she snorted derisively, "Not enough to keep hurtin' her though eh? You said some 'orrible things to her, then you try to involve her in your attempted kidnapping of your son. She left __**everything**__ behind Peter to help you get your life sorted." Michelle could no longer stop the tears that pooled in her eyes, "she left me, she left her brother, she left her business... for __**you**__!" Her palms slapped against her thighs. "And then you come back here and you do that to her…you shattered her heart Peter Barlow, but believe me, she is better off without you!"_

"_I know she is," Peter acquiesced quietly_

"_Right, so if we're all agreed on that fact," Rob growled, "why have you invited him around 'ere Michelle?"_

_Michelle sighed, her eyes locking onto Rob's, "'cause despite everything that he's done, Carla's decision is still the wrong one Rob. And deep down you know that."_

"_Michelle," Peter pleaded gently, "please tell me what's going on?"_

_Rob shook his head in defeat, his hand rising and falling softly to his side as Michelle turned her now soft blue eyes onto the bookie, "Carla's pregnant."_

_Peter's breath hitched in his chest, the room spinning around him as the words ricocheted off his eardrums. He placed an unsteady hand on the desk beside him, leaning his body heavily upon it, "you what?" he whispered._

"_Pregnant," Rob repeated venemously, "with your spawn."_

"_Wh-" Peter stuttered, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, "why didn't she-"_

"_We think she's gone to 'ave an abortion," Michelle whispered, feeling a slight wave of guilt for the man in front of her_

_Peter's head snapped up, his eyes alit with fear, "No," he shook his head, "no she can't."_

"_Her body, her choice mate," Rob stated._

"_Look, all she said last night was that she headed to the hospital for an appointment later this morning to deal with it," Michelle said, "She'll probably hate me for telling you, but I think you have a right to know the truth no matter what her decision."_

_Peter took in a number of controlled breaths before fixing Michelle with his determined gaze, "which hospital?"…_

* * *

"Peter?" a familiar male voice roused him from his thoughts. He lifted his gaze and settled on the inquisitive face of Marcus, "are you alright? Are you waiting for Carla?"

Peter's face lit up as he quickly pushed himself to a standing position, "She's still 'ere?"

Marcus' face fell slightly, "Peter," he began, his tongue nervously darting over his top lip, "does Carla know you're here?"

_Shit._ Peter angrily chided himself. He took a steadying breath and stepped closer to Marcus, his eyes pleading with the young man, "please mate," his voice was as thick as molasses, "please I just need to see her."

Marcus sighed, "she's just having a follow-up with the doctor," he stated shaking his head in aggravation with himself.

"Follow-up," Peter repeated, his heart sinking. He was too late.

"Look, I shouldn't be telling you where to find her okay? You didn't hear it from me, but just head down this hallway and make a right. You'll come upon a registration desk….Carla should be out shortly."

"Thank you mate, thank you I owe you one!" Peter thanked him as he broke into a jog down the hallway, leaving Marcus to rub his now pounding head.

'_I don't know who is going to have my head first; Carla or Maria…'_ he chastised himself.

As soon as he turned the corner, his eyes fell upon her familiar slender frame as she stepped into the hallway with her back to him.

"Lots of rest Miss Connor," a doctor who followed her out stated gently, "lots of fluids and take it easy for the next few days. I reckon' you're going to be a bit uncomfortable for the next 48 to 72 hours."

"Thank you doctor," she stated quietly.

"Take care," he smiled and place a hand on her back directing her towards the elevators, which happened to be right next to where Peter was standing gaping at her.

Her eyes widened in shock as they came to rest upon him. He thought he saw a small flicker of love dancing behind her eyes, but as she stepped closer to him, he could see it had almost immediately been replaced with a steely gaze; she had her barriers up.

"What are you doin' 'ere?" she asked softly, her voice thick with emotion as she wrapped her arms protectively around her chest

"I came to try to talk you out of-" Peter began

"Sorry Miss Connor," the doctor had appeared behind her, handing her a small square piece of paper, "you left this on the table. Congratulations again!" he said with a broad smile, nodding politely to Peter before heading back into the room.

Peter felt the room spin about him once more, his heart swelling in his chest. He gestured to the paper in her hand, "is that…"

"An ultrasound," she whispered, "of our baby."

Peter breathed out a sigh of relief, his eyes flooding with tears as he allowed a large smile to tug at his lips, "oh Carla-" he stepped forward to wrap her in his arms but she backed away from him sharply

"You thought I'd have an abortion?" her tone was accusatory, her eyes brimming with tears, "without telling you?"

He couldn't respond. He simply stood there staring at her as she bit her lip and shook her head.

"Just goes to show you," she stated bitterly as she stepped around him, "you never really knew me at all…."

_**...oh take me back to the start...**_

* * *

Lyrics: _The Scientist_ by Coldplay


End file.
